Say it ain’t so! DC wants you to wait 24 hours before getting a tattoo

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Certain things are forever, while body art isn’t one of them, it certainly feels like it. To prevent “tattoo remorse,” the Department of Health in the District of Columbia is considering mandating a 24-hour waiting period before someone can get body piercings or a tat.

"The licensee or operator of a body art establishment shall ensure that no tattoo artist applies any tattoo to a customer until after twenty-four hours have passed since the customer first requested the tattoo," so states the proposed language of new regulations from DC’s DoH.

Tattoo artist Kevin Hinton thinks the waiting period idea is nearly unenforceable, would be bad for business and possibly dangerous.

"I would fear that you would drive people underground possibly getting tattoos in an unsterile environment in garages, homes and apartments...of course the loss of income," said Hinton on AirTalk.

Cosmetic surgeon Dr. Alex Kaplan says that while he does often see patients hoping to have regrettable tattoos removed, he is unsure whether a mandated waiting period is necessary.

"I certainly have seen many patients come to me for tattoo removal who said they had just gotten the tattoo a few days earlier and they instantly regretted it," said Dr. Kaplan. "Whether there should be a law about that...That does seem like a far-reaching government move."

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